Police warn against misuse of logo

JAKARTA (JP): The public is being urged to be alert and report to the authorities any groups seeking donations using the name of the Jakarta Police.

The head of the city police's Community Development Division, Chief Commissioner Sisno Adiwinoto, pointed out on Tuesday the presence of these groups, saying he supported the work they did but not their method of collecting money using the police's name.

"We support the activities of these various group, but this does not mean we will allow them to collect funds from the public (using the police's name). People can report such activities to the police," Sisno said at Jakarta Police Headquarters.

He said that over the past three months he had signed letters supporting the various activities of three organizations, including holding seminars on narcotics and the threat of bomb attacks.

However, the letters of support were not meant to be used for fund-raising, he said.

He said the police recently received several complaints from people who had been solicited by these organizations for donations of between Rp 300,000 and Rp 500,000.

Sisno refused to name the organizations, but said they were set up by a security firm, a non-governmental organization and a group of military and police pensioners.

S. Ismail, a 73-year-old resident of Menteng, Central Jakarta, said she received a telephone call from someone claiming to be from city police headquarters on Tuesday morning asking her to support a public security program.

She said she was told the program was in response to the numerous security threats in the capital, including the Christmas Eve bombings.

Ismail said she was asked to give the money to a courier who would be sent to her house later in the afternoon. She handed over Rp 300,000 to the courier.

According to Ismail, the courier presented her a letter signed by the head of the Nation Brotherhood and Unity Forum/FPPB, A. Syamsudin Iskandar, and the adjutant to the city police's public security and order chief, Com. Ramser E. Silalahi.

She also said the letter was enclosed with a copy of the program's proposal and a copy of memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the city police and FPPB.

The copy of the MoU was signed by A. Syamsudin Iskandar from FPPB and Sisno Adiwinoto.

According to the proposal, the Rp 2-billion program aims to get people actively involved in public security and order.

The program will hold field campaigns and public seminars, and put out public service advertisements in the print and electronic media, according to the proposal.

Sisno reasserted that while the police in general supported the aims and goals of such activities, their endorsement was not designed to solicit funds. (04/jun)